Journal-box cooler.



M. P. COOK. JOURNAL Box COOLER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 24, 1011.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

M. P. COOK.

JOURNAL BOX COOLER.

APPLIGATION :FILED APR.24,1911.

1,020,188. Patented Mar.12,1912.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

MILES IE. COOK, 0F FLINT, MICHIGAN.

JOURNAL-BOX COOLER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Application filed April 24, 1911. Serial No. 623,125.

To all whom 'it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, MILES P. Cook, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Flint, in the county of Gen esce and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Journal-Box Coolers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numbers of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in axle coolers of the type set forth in my prior patent issued on the 31st day of December, 1895, and in which a jet of water or other cooling agent was directed upwardly beneath the lip of the brass journal cap along the rising side of the axle, and the jet noz- Zle reciprocated back and forth along the bearing to distribute the liquid for substantially the entire length thereof.

The heating due to friction and varying pressure of the brass upon a journal is radiated under normal conditions from the ends of the journal, and, of course, the region of highest temperature being at the middle of the bearing or the point at the greatest distance from the radiating surface, the greatest expansion of the journal occurs ther-eat. In other words, although the brass may fit snugly and 'properly upon the journal when the journal is true and the brass properly fitted, a rise in temperature due to friction and accompanied by the consequent increase in diameter of the journal due to the greater expansion at the middle, concentrates the load on a relatively small space near the middle of the cap or brass, so that instead of the load being carried upon the entire normal bearing surface, the pres sure is constantly upon a relatively small area near the middle of the brass. In this manner, the heating having once begun, the temperature rapidly increases and as the temperature rises, the actual bearing surface upon the ournal is proportionately decreased. The carbonizing of the oil occasioned by the high temperature, constitutes another destructive element, greatly increasing friction and tending to cut both the brass and the journal. Under these conditions the constant vibration and jar to which the axles are subjected while heated under a load pressure to near the limit of their normal strength, changes the structure I of the journal, rendering the same brittle and likely to break oft' at a point between the wheel and the region of greatest cxpansion and highest temperature. Many accidents are occasioned in this way and the danger is augmented by the too sudden or improper cooling of the journal.

lVhen the oil has ceased to lubricate owing to the high temperature, and the deposit of carbon upon the axle has begun, two important functions should be performed by the cooling fluid. The fluid should be directed to the area of greatest expansion, that is to say, at the middle of the bearing and through the cooling and cont action of the journal increase the surface upon which the bearing pressure is carried, and second, should be so directed as to most efliciently assist in the removal of the scale or carbon. This is in part accomplished by the steam or hot water vapor produced by the water jet striking the hot axle. and in part by the contraction and cooling of the journal, which tends to scale the carbon therefrom. Under such conditions, the water is directed at the rising side of the journal beneath the lip of the brass at about the cente and itself serves as a. lubricant and carries outI the carbon deposit therewith.

The object of this invention is to afford a nozzle in a journal cooling device adapted to be rigidly adjusted and secured on either side of the journal, depending upon the direction in which the car is moving, and to direct the jet immediately beneath the lip of the brass at about the middle and to be carried by the rotation of the journal beneath the brass.

lt is also an object of the invention to ait ford a construction in which the nozzle may be adjusted at any point in the length of the journal. or to the region of highest temperature, thereby permitting the journal to be slowly cooled and by the increase in bearing surface, aiding in reducing friction and facilitating the escape of the heat by the radiation and conduction as well.

lt is also an object of the invention to a'tl'ord a construction whereby the nozzle may be instantly adjusted to either side the journal and to direct the jet beneath the cap at any desired angle.

The invention consists in the mattershereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention, showing a part of a car truck in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation thereof, showing the rear side of the ournal box in section and the journal and cap in elevation. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through the journal box and showing the journal in elevation and the nozzle secured in place. Fig. l is a similar view with the nozzle adjusted to discharge on the opposite side of the journal from that shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan and detail view, illustrating the spring clamp whereby the nozzle is positively, though yieldingly, engaged in position. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the nozzle and clamp shown in Fig. 5.

As shown in said drawings: l, indicates a reservoir of sheet metal or other suitable material, provided at each end with links 2, adapted tov engage on hooks 3, set in the under frame of a car convenient of access y to the journal.

4, indicates a valve, the actuating lever or handle of which is provided with a pointer or indicator movable over a segment to indicate the degree of opening of the valve. This scale may, if desired, read in minutes of time to indicate the length of time required to discharge the contents of the receptacle with each particular degree of opening of the valve indicated on the scale.

Connected with the discharge valve 4C, is a hose pipe 5, of rubber or other flexible material, secured on the end of which is a metal pipe 6, which extends slidably through a sleeve 7, provided with a hook or eye 8, which hooks into or engages in an eye 9, integral with the clamp 10, whereby the noz zle is rigidly engaged in the end of the journal box. The inner end of the pipe or nozzle is curved upwardly, as shown, to direct the jet from the nozzle obliquely upward and inwardly beneath the journal .cap l1, at about the middle of the journal and on the rearward or upwardly rising side of the journal to carry the cooling fluid or water upwardly thereby and beneath the cap.

Extending through an eye 12 is a strong spring' 13, the outer end of which is relatively short and isprovided with a hook 14,

to engage around the pipe or nozzle 6, beyond the sleeve 7, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The outer end or longer. end of said spring rod is likewise provided with a hook l5, adapted to be sprung inwardly and engaged around the nozzle 6, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, thereby cramping the sleeve and nozzle in their engagement with each other and firmly holding the nozzle from sliding through they sleeve or otherwise varying its adjusted relation or position. Of course, owing to the cramping action of the sleeve and the hooks at the end of the spring rod on the nozzle, the discharge end of the nozzle may be turned at any desired angle toward or from the axle to best direct the et to the region of highest temperature and friction. The same nozzle, clamp and spring may be used on either side of the journal. If, for instance, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4:, it were desirable to engage the nozzle on the opposite side of the nozzle from that before described, it is only necese sary to turn the nozzle and hook over the clamp, as illustrated in Fig. et, and again attaching the ends of the spring in place to accomplish this adjustment. In effect, when adjusted, the nozzle is very positively secured in adjusted position, but the movement of the car assists in part in swaying the nozzle very slightly to distribute the water therefrom over the entire area of greatest heat.

The operation is as follows: The position of the nozzle, of course, depends upon the direction of movement of the car. It should discharge beneath the lip of the cap sub stantially at the middle of the journal and at the rising or rear side of the journal. In this manner the water is carried between the journal and brass and itself serves as a lubricator and the high temperature occasioned by directing the same against t-he heated brass and axle, assists very materially in loosening the scale and carbon deposit from both the journal and the brass. Had the car been moving in the opposite direction from that illustrated in Fig. 3, the nozzle, of course, would have been directed oppositely, as shown in Fig. 4. When the journal is sufficiently cooled and the carbon deposit removed therefrom by the jet of water heated by the ournal, the device may be removed. This may be accomplished by merely detaching the clamp, which is provided with a thumb screw for that purpose.

Inasmuch as the nozzle is readily adjustable to any point in the length of the journal, the jet may always be directed to the region of highest temperature, thereby cooling the journal by washing out and removing the scale and carbon by means of the evaporation of the waterpthrown against the journal. The lubricating effect of the water directed between the journal and brass is most important, and, what is probably more so, than any of the foregoing, is the restoring of the journal to its normal proportions at the previously enlarged or extended portion and again distributing the weight of the load over the entire length of the journal as before described.

Of course, while I have described a particular mechanism for adjusting and securing the nozzle in the desired position though most effectively to accomplish the purpose for which intended, it is to be understood that I do not purpose limiting the patent to be granted on this application to the specific attaching means hereinbefore described, as I am, of course, aware that the attaching means may vary through a wide degree, but I purpose claiming broadly any construction whereby the nozzle may be fixed and secured in adjusted position on either side the journal at the region of greatest temperature and independently ot' the length of the journal or the journal box.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a receptacle or reservoir adapted to be hung on a car, of a nozzle connected therewith and co1nmuni eating therein, attaching means on said nozzle for engaging the journal box, and re-V silient means adjustably engaging the noz zle adapting the same to be held at any angle.

2. The combination with a receptacle or reservoir adapted to be hung on a car, of a nozzle connected therewith and communicating therein, att-aching means on said nozzle for engaging the journal box, and resilient means adjustably engaging the nozzle on each side of the attaching means adapted to hold said nozzle at any angle.

3. In a device of the class described a nozzle, a clamp loosely connected with the nozzle and adapted to engage the journal box, and a spring locking member connected with the clamp and positively engaging the nozzle and acting to firmly hold the nozzle in the journal box to direct its jet upwardly and forwardly beneath the lip ot the cap and at about the middle of the journal.

4. In a device of t-he class described a nozzle, a clamp loosely connected with the nozzle and adapted to engage the journal box, and a reversible spring locking member connected with the clamp and positively engaging the nozzle and acting to hold the nozzle in the journal box to direct its jet upwardly and forwardly beneath the lip of the cap and at about the middle of the journal.

5. In a device of the class described a screw clamp, a hook engaged thereon, a sleeve on the hook, a nozzle slidable in the sleeve and curved at its discharge end, and a spring loosely connected with the hook acting to engage the nozzle with both its ends to clamp the same in the sleeve, said hook adapted to lie on either side the clamp when in operation to direct the nozzle against the rear or rising side of the journal and beneath the lip of the cap at about the middle of the journal.

G. In a device ot' the class described a source of water supply, a nozzle connected therewith, means for attaching to a journal box and a spring acting to engage the nozzle in position to direct the jet therefrom beneath the lip of the journal cap at the rear side of the journal and at about the middle thereof.

In testimony whereotl I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MILES P. COOK.

Witnesses CHARLES WV. I-IILLS, Jr., GEORGE R. Moonn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

